Stuck on you
by Hattie123
Summary: An unfortunate magical malady leaves Harry and Draco unavoidably... attached. However, as an uncomfortable night is spent, their close quarters teach both a heady lesson.


It was with a crack of smoke and a bang that Harry fell spectacularly to the floor. Everything went momentarily black, before coming back into focus with painful clarity. Thick blue smoke filled the room.

'Ron? Hermione?' Harry tried gingerly to sit up, but found himself weighted down by his right arm. Attempting to waft the smoke away with his left, he peered at his arm. Gradually the air cleared, and with a yell of horror Harry saw that he was being held down not by his arm, but by the body that was attached to it. A body with silvery blonde hair…

'Malfoy!' Revulsion rang in his voice as he tried to pull himself up, failing. The left arm of his worst enemy was firmly attached to his. They were as good as glued together. Harry's movements had caused Malfoy to stir, and through the thinning smoke Harry could see Ron, Hermione, Crabbe and Goyle gradually sitting up.

'What's… what was…? WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO?'

Malfoy had sat up and, like Harry, come to the unpleasant realisation that he was firmly attached to the one person he loathed more than any other.

'I didn't bloody do anything, it was you and your goons!' Harry responded with waspish irritation as he tried to stand up. 'Get up, won't you?'

Cursing, Malfoy clambered awkwardly to his feet. He was barely balanced when Harry started towards Ron and Hermione, who were still looking confused on the floor. Overbalancing, Malfoy swore loudly and fell halfway to the floor. He was caught by Harry, who pulled him roughly to his feet.

'I knew you couldn't play Quidditch, but I didn't realise you found walking so challenging.' Fury sharpened Harry's tongue, and he gave Malfoy no time to retort before moving towards his friends. Both were on their feet now; Ron, his back to them was dusting down his robes. Hermione watched them, her face a picture of horror.

'Oh no… Oh no, this isn't good… This really isn't good…'

'What isn't goo… oh.'

Ron turned to face them, freezing as he did so. Harry looked at them, engaged furiously in silent conversation. Malfoy's head snapped back and forth.

'Look, we need to get to Madam Pomfrey…'

'Oh, you think? I wish we'd thought of that.' Harry let the sarcasm ooze in his voice. 'Do you think we'll manage to walk?' He received a glare in return.

'If anyone sees this, Potter…'

'Don't worry, I have no intention of letting that happen' replied Harry, through gritted teeth. He turned back to Ron and Hermione. 'Go back to Gryffindor and explain to the team that practice is off tonight. I have to get this growth cut off.' Then, turning so fast that Malfoy nearly fell again, Harry left the room. The corridor was empty as he strode furiously along it, occasionally tripping as his feet became entangled with Malfoy's.

'Watch it, Potter!'

'It's not my fault if you put your feet under mine, Malfoy.'

'Well if yours weren't so bloody huge we wouldn't be having this problem.'

'Oh, you're a fine one to talk! If you hadn't let those two trolls attempt magic then I'd be quite happily unattached to you.'

'I didn't ask them to do this!'

'And that makes it ok? Why do you even bloody put up with them, they're so useless.'

'Maybe to you.'

'Oh, right, I forgot – they're easy for you to manipulate aren't they?'

'Don't think you're so bloody noble, Po…'

'Ssh!' Harry stopped suddenly, interrupting Malfoy. 'Someone's coming! Hide!' Seeing a door to his left, Harry lunged at the handle and pulled Malfoy in, slamming the door behind them. The door happened to have been the entrance to a very small supply cupboard. Stacks of parchment, bottles of ink and piles of quills littered the shelves. Harry and Malfoy were forced to stand facing each other, squashed into the cupboard as the sound of many footsteps and chatter passed by.

'Well I never thought I'd see the day…'

'This isn't funny Potter!'

'Can you hear me laughing?' They spoke in hushed whispers, furiously trying not to be heard. Harry arched his back away from Malfoy, uncomfortably aware of the limited space in the cupboard.

'This is so stupid…'

Harry rolled his eyes at Malfoy's muttering.

'Shut up, I'm listening… I think everyone is past now…'

Tentatively, Harry opened the cupboard door and peered around it. The corridor was empty. He turned back to Malfoy, who was twisted awkwardly from Harry's movement.

'Let's go.'

'Ok, just let me turn…' Malfoy's voice was muffled as he attempted to twist in the cupboard. He was almost around when his foot fell on a piece of parchment that had fallen onto the floor. It slipped beneath him, and with a yell Malfoy went crashing into the shelves, pulling Harry with him. With a thump, a smash and a clatter the contents of the cupboard plummeted down. Harry yelled as bottles of ink smashed around him, covering him in red, green, black and blue liquid. Feather Quills stick to the inky mess, and paper flurried around them. The two boys scrambled inelegantly to their feet, made ungainly by their joined arms. Stepping away from the cupboard they watched the pool of ink from the smashed bottles spread across the floor, soaking into the dropped paper and drenching quills. Harry looked at Malfoy. His blonde hair was streaked with ink that changed from blue to green every few seconds. Red ink was splattered on his pale face. Feathers clung to Malfoy's hair, face and robes. Harry would have laughed if he hadn't known that he looked the same.

'C'mon, we'd better go before…'

'PEEVES!' The roar of Argus Filch echoed throughout the hallway, and the clatter of hurried footsteps drew near. Malfoy looked at Harry in desperation.

'Can't you clean in, or something? With a spell?'

'No I bloody can't, you're stuck to my wand arm. What's your excuse?' Harry looked desperately around him, unwilling to think about the consequences of Filch catching him, stuck to a fellow student, next to a ruined supply cupboard and a pool of ink and sodden paper.

'We've always had house elves, I never learned cleaning spells!'

'Then run!' Turning as quickly as they could, Harry and Malfoy began a shambling run down the corridor, taking the shortest route to the hospital wing. Filch's footsteps faded as they continued until, out of breath, they bust through the door into the hospital wing. Clutching at a stitch in his side, Harry looked around the room. It was mercifully empty, save for Madam Pomfrey who was bustling towards them with her mouth open and her eyebrows raised.

'What on earth have you been doing?'

'Well…'

'I…'

'We…'

'It wasn't…'

'Enough! No time for that now, this is going to be very difficult to fix!'

'You can, can't you?' Malfoy sounded as horror-struck as Harry felt.

'Yes. But it'll take a few hours – you'll be in overnight. Wait here.'

Madam Pomfrey left, leaving Harry with a sense of relief, and a vague dread.

'If we're here overnight…'

His unasked question was unpleasantly answered when, upon returning, Madam Pomfrey pointed her wand at one of the hospital beds and commanded 'Enlargo!' The bed swelled to double its previous size, and Madam Pomfrey levitated two more pillows onto it. Pulling two hospital gowns from a cabinet, she tossed them to the boys with the command 'Change, quickly. You need your medicine.'

'But Madam Pomfrey… You don't mean… You can't seriously…'

'Yes, Boys, I do mean it. Unless you want to stand all night – which, given that this is going to be a very painful procedure, I doubt – you are going to have to share that bed. The only alternative is that you remain stuck to one another – so unless you want to see if that is preferable…'

'No! Thanks, but, err, I'll risk the bed.' Only the prospect of spending his life attached to Malfoy persuaded Harry to obey Madam Pomfrey. Sighing, he walked to the bed, catching Malfoy off guard. The boy stumbled, but caught himself just in time. Reaching for his nightgown, Harry noticed the ink on his hands.

'Hang on a minute…' reaching awkwardly into his back pocket with his left hand, Harry pulled out his wand. He placed it in his right and, turning to face Malfoy, attempted to point it at the boy.

'What are you doing?'

'Helping you. You need to move your arm with mine, though…there…' Gritting his teeth as he bent his arm awkwardly, Harry managed to point his wand at Malfoy's chest.

'Scourgify!' A blast of light hit Malfoy, and the ink and feathers vanished.

'Can you do the same?'

'I can try…' Malfoy looked doubtful. Pulling out his own wand, which was longer and darker than Harry's, he pointed it at the boy.

'What was the spell again?'

'Scourgify.'

Malfoy repeated the spell. The ink faded slightly and a couple of feathers vanished. Harry rolled his eyes. 'Never mind.'

'Are you still not changed?' Madam Pomfrey had returned with a big red bottle, marked 'skele-split'. Pointing her wand at them, she muttered something and gave her wand a complicated wave. With a little poof of smoke, Harry and Malfoy were in hospital gowns, their joined arms in one extra large sleeve that the Matron cut away. Looking down, Harry saw that the two arms had merged seamlessly into one huge one, splitting only at the wrist.

'This is so weird…'

'Lie down, both of you. This will not be a pleasant experience.

'Not if it's anything like Skele-grow' muttered Harry ominously. They clambered ungracefully into the bed, Harry shuffling across to make room for Malfoy, who looked at the boy in dislike. Madam Pomfrey unscrewed the bottle and poured out two cupfuls of the liquid, muttering under her breath. Handing one cup to each boy, she watched them beadily. Malfoy eyed the contents suspiciously. Raising his hesitantly to his lips, Harry drank his in one gulp. Even so, he could taste the revolting liquid as it poured down his throat. Trying not to choke, he dropped his cup. Malfoy looked positively alarmed.

'Come on, Mr Malfoy, it won't kill you!'

Taking a deep breath, Malfoy downed the potion as well, loudly and unhappily.

'Well. That is all that can be done tonight. I warn you, as the night wears on it will become painful. Hopefully, however, you shall be well enough to leave tomorrow. Goodnight.'

Madam Pomfrey left the wing in her usual brisk manner. Silence hung after her footsteps faded. It was Harry who broke it, sighing as he flung himself down, dragging Malfoy with him.

'You could've asked.' Malfoy sounded churlish.

'Sorry.' Harry was unrepentant as he stared at the ceiling.

'Move over, will you, you're taking up too much room.'

'Hang on, I'm just trying to shift…'

An ungainly wiggling ensued as the two boys tried to ease themselves into the centre of the bed.

'My God, this is like those bloody teamwork exercises they made us do in the Dragons…'

Harry stopped moving, frozen with disbelief.

'The Dragons?'

'Yeah, it's like a youth club where you do…'

I know what it is, but Malfoy – _you_ were in the Dragons?' A snort of laughter escaped Harry's lips.

'What's so damn funny? Loads of people were!'

'I know, I just never… I never had you down as a teamwork sort of guy.'

'I'm not.' Malfoy's reply was short, as he finally settled down on his back. Harry could sense the irritation that emanated from the shadowy form beside him, and he couldn't help smirking.

'I'm sure your team leaders would be most disappointed…'

His tease was rewarded with an awkward punch in the stomach from a furious Malfoy.

……………………………………………………………………………………………

Harry lay awake for a long time, staring into the shadowy rafters in the ceiling. Accustomed to sleeping on his side, he was finding the prolonged period lying on his back uncomfortable, and tearing pains kept shooting through his arm. He sighed heavily and wriggled a little.

'Will you bloody keep still?'

Harry jumped at Malfoy's irritable hiss.

'I thought you were asleep.'

'I would be if you didn't breathe so damn loudly.'

'I do not breathe loudly.'

'Yes you do.'

'Oh for god's sake…'

Harry settled back into grumpy silence, but was suddenly painfully aware of the body next to him.

'I can't believe I'm sharing a bed with you.' Malfoy's mutter reflected Harry's thoughts exactly.

'Hopefully the rest of the school will share your disbelief.'

'You don't think they'll find out, do you?'

Harry smirked at the note of horror in Malfoy's voice.

'Only if you plan on telling them. Bloody hell, my arm hurts.'

'Mine too.'

'Yeah, I'd guessed.'

'Thanks for the vote of sympathy.'

'Since when did you ever want my sympathy?'

'I don't – I don't care what you think.'

Harry was suddenly aware that Malfoy's breathing was heavier than it had been. 'Why are you getting breathless?' he enquired, hoping it wasn't some side effect of the potion he was about to have to endure.

'I'm not.'

'Yes you are.'

'You really are irritating, aren't you? Our arms are separating.'

'You're changing the subject.'

'No, they really are – look.'

Glancing down, Harry saw that their arms really were separate as far down as the elbow.

'Well, at least we know that's working.'

Another silence elapsed. Malfoy's breath was still coming quickly, and his body was rigid beside Harry.

'You really are breathless, should I call Madam Pomfrey?' Harry was beginning to feel slightly alarmed about Malfoy's condition.

'No, don't be stupid, it's nothing to do with that.'

'Then what is it?'

'It's none of your business.'

'Malfoy, we're stuck to each other and have just taken the same potion, how is your physical state none of my business?'

'Because I'm just not… not used to being so close to you.'

Harry opened his mouth to speak, but caught his breath. Something, a note in Malfoy's voice, belied his otherwise unremarkable words.

'What do you mean?'

'What do you mean what do I mean? I don't know what you lot get up to in Gryffindor, but bed sharing is hardly commonplace in Slytherin…'

Harry rolled his eyes.

'Whatever. I'm just surprised there wasn't a snide personal remark hidden in there…'

'Believe it or not, Potter, my entire life doesn't actually revolve around insulting you.'

'You could have fooled me…'

Another silence lapsed. Malfoy broke it with sudden vehemence.

'It's your fault anyway – you were the one who wouldn't shake my hand in first year.'

'Yeah, I can't think why I ever chose loyalty and friendship over blind hatred…'

'I would have been your friend.'

Harry didn't bother to reply. He stared out of the window into the starry sky outside, watching as occasional owls swooped over the forest. Sleep was likely to be impossible given the searing pains in is arm, and he was wide awake in any case. Malfoy was silent beside him. Harry could feel the rise and fall of chest through their joined arms, and became conscious of his own breath matching Malfoy's. It somehow felt peaceful.

'I'd have been your friend too… if you hadn't been such a cunt.'

'Charming.'

'You have to admit, you were. Still are, actually.'

'Fuck off. Just because it's your life's ambition to be miss fucking America, doesn't mean we all have to ignore thousands of years of pure breeding and start accepting every magical wannabe that wants to be special...'

'Magical wannabes?' Harry's voice was incredulous and angry. 'Is that what you'd call Hermione?'

'There are exceptions, but look at morons like bloody Justin…'

'There's nothing wrong with Justin! What about your horrible family, pure bloods all the fucking way and barely a decent trait…oof!'

Harry's sentence was interrupted as a furious Malfoy twisted beside him and thumped him awkwardly in the stomach with his free arm.

'Take that back, you bastard!'

He swore loudly and tried to thump Harry again. Harry caught the offending arm and a furious struggle began. Malfoy lay almost on top of Harry as he tried to hit him, and their joined arms flailed wildly as both tried to control them. Twisting awkwardly, Harry was just about to free one arm to hit Malfoy in return when his opponents' mouth came down on his in a hard and uncompromising kiss. Rigid with shock, Harry felt Draco's lips and tongue assuage his own with brutal fury. After a few moments Draco pulled suddenly away and looked, horror struck, at Harry. He was just about to roll off when Harry, barely sure of what he was doing, used his free arm to grab Draco's shoulder and pull him down once more. Draco's lips met his again and this time Harry responded, fierce and hungry. The kiss was awkward and uncompromisingly aggressive, and yet at the same time the most exhilarating feeling Harry had ever experienced. He slipped his free arm around Malfoy's neck, pulling him closer, kissing him deeper. Malfoy responded in kind, a low noise escaping his throat as lips, teeth and tongues clashed. Harry could feel the blood coursing through his veins and a stirring in his groin when, suddenly, Malfoy pulled away from him, a stricken look and his pale face. He rolled off of Harry and lay beside him once more, as far away as their arms would allow. A silence punctuated only by their heavy breathing followed, before Malfoy, a crack in his voice, muttered bitterly 'What the fuck did you do that for?'

Harry's eyes widened in disbelief and he turned his head to look at Malfoy, who had tears in his eyes.

'_What_? You fucking kissed me!'

'You kissed me back! Why didn't you shove me off?'

'I don't believe you! You bloody started it, what was I supposed to do?'

'Stop me! You should have stopped me!'

Harry could see tears pouring down Draco's porcelain cheeks now, and could feel the boys' shoulders shaking. He said nothing for a long while, trying to make sense of the situation.

'How long have you been waiting to do that?'

Malfoy sighed before answering.

'A long time. Since I first felt like kissing anybody. Since… since I can't even remember when.'

Harry lay very still, trying hard to figure out his thoughts. Until that moment the thought of kissing Malfoy had never even entered his head, but the kiss had been one of the most thrilling moments of his entire life. Many things – such as Draco's need to compete and be noticed – made more sense. Many more things did not. He rolled over onto his joined arm and watched Malfoy shake with tears. It was a long time before Malfoy's pale blue eyes met his.

'I so wish I could really hate you. It would be so sensible. My father and my friends loathe you, you represent a million things I hate, your friends hate me… but I can't. I can't do it, and I can't even pretend any more… it's too damn late.'

Harry half smiled.

'Yep, it is. Too damn late to pretend you hate me. So…'

He trailed off, watched by Malfoy for a long while.

'So… why not start liking me instead?'

'I don't…'

'Start small. Stop hexing me in corridors. Don't call Hermione mudblood anymore. Lay off about Ron's family. That sort of thing. Maybe… maybe one day you'll feel like you can cope with not hating me.'

Harry watched as Malfoy slowly smiled, and then half laughed.

'I'll give it a go. Might be easier than you know… wanting to jump you in corridors all the time.'

Harry laughed then. 'Maybe.'

Three weeks later, and Harry and Malfoy had barely spoken. The morning after their night in the hospital wing, Madame Pomfrey had announced them completely cured, and they had gone their separate ways with barely a word. Since then Malfoy had noticeably improved – he no longer taunted Harry and his friends. He was, if anything, avoiding them. Although an improvement in many ways, Harry couldn't help but almost miss the usual rivalry – since the kiss he felt that any Malfoy would be better than none. He was musing this as he ambled along the corridor leading to transfiguration. He was so occupied with his thought that he did not notice the hand that reached out from a cupboard until it had grabbed him and pulled him inside. Feeling his startled yell muffled by a hand, Harry looked into the face of none other than Draco Malfoy. Glancing around him he realised that they stood in the same stationery cupboard they had hid in when first joined together.

Malfoy…'

'Ssh! Don't speak, just listen. I've been thinking about this a lot, and I don't want to start slow. I want to start as fast as we're going to get. I like you – I more than like you, I'm fucking in love with you, so much I don't care if my bastard of a father disinherits me, or if no-one in Slytherin speaks to me ever again. As long as you do…'

He trailed off even as Harry felt a huge grin split his features.

'It's about fucking time.'

Grabbing Malfoy's shoulders, Harry pulled the boy towards him for a furious kiss. Without thinking, he stepped back against the wall, pulling Malfoy with him. With a resounding crash, he knocked against the shelf, and felt a distressing sense of déjà vu as paper, ink and quills once more rained down upon them. Only moments later, the familiar roar of 'Peeves!' echoed through the corridor. Disbelieving laughter shaking his frame, Harry grabbed Malfoy' hand and burst out of the cupboard.

'Run!'


End file.
